Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent 16-12-14
Gospel: Matthew 21:32
‘For John came to you in the way of righteousness
and you did not believe him
but the tax-collectors and prostitutes believed him;
and even after you saw it,
you did no change your minds and believe him ‘
Reflection: Openness to Faith
Jesus seems to expect faith, andhe hopes we would recognise
the truth of his message. 
Something of the message of the gospel
appeals to the best in human nature:
to treat each other with justice,
to care for the earth and
to be faithful to the people closest to us.
We can be diverted away from the best of human nature by our fears of losing love, security and comfort, and by the way we can be drawn to sin and to selfishness.
When we are weak and vulnerable like people looked down on in society — the people of his time that Jesus befriended — we are sometimes most open to the love and word of God. Christmas can be a time when we know that we want the best in human nature and we know also the ways selfishness can draw us away from God.
Jesus knows that our belonging to God is itself a gift of God and
we belong by living the life of love, strengthened in our goodness, and healed in our weakness, always forgiven for sins, faults and failings. Our waiting for the coming of God increases our faith in our belonging to God.
Prayer:
Jesus, Open our hearts to know your love,
Lord Jesus, open our miids to know your truth,
Open our souls to know your love.
Please offer a prayer today for :
those who are those we know are very poor,
those who beg on our streets,
those who depend on others for safety and security,
those in uncaring institutions.
******************************
Our thanks to all those who helped, were quoted or whose pictures we used in th making of this site.
Our thanks especially to Donal Neary SJ for the use/adaptation of the text of his booklet,
‘Praying in Advent’.
Columba Press
******************************
